So begins the summer, the time of the year when many Orchestras will do free and low cost outdoor concerts, 1 rehearsal affairs with a mix of pops, light classics and light shows! With my professed like for Holiday concerts, for me this is the second most wonderful time of the year when an audience connection can be established…..
Ron Spigelman
Close to home..an orchestra goes not too quietly into the night…
With so much attention in the blogosphere being paid to the situations in Shreveport and Columbus along with the upcoming conference in Denver, it has gone virtually unnoticed that an orchestra in Arkansas is on the verge of closing down. I only know about it because it’s very close to home…..
New at the Columbus Dispatch: First Date Announcements!
Every paper announces births, deaths, anniversaries, engagements, marriages, but first dates? In this case the Dispatch was reporting the announcement of the formation of a 2nd arts panel, this one to examine the sustainability of the arts in Columbus in the wake of the looming catastrophe at the Symphony. My question: What’s the point of announcing this? Bad move in my view…..
Words that can and DO hurt!
And so it goes, Shreveport claims it’s now fiscally responsible by implementing their cuts. However the cuts run deeper than just in financial terms. The musicians probably feel like the they have been on the losing end of a game of Whac-A-Mole after reading final sentence in the article that reported the imposed decision…..
“How to be a Classic Snob!”
This is the title of a very tongue in cheek article by Joel Stein that appeared last week in the LA Times. It is a wonderful essay demonstrating that we might be better served if the stereotypical “classical” policeman stayed at home and listened to their stereo instead of attending a concert….
Not Backtracking, just Trackbacking!
Yesterday over on Violinist.com Mark Johnson linked to my post Philippe Quint ring’s Joshua’s Bell and there has been some very lively discussion to say the least! I have posted a comment there also in response. Feel free to join in the fun there or here. I will delay today’s post till tomorrow. I love passionate debate!….
Praying for Time….
No not an exasperated cry! Time stood still for me last night when George Michael sang this song near the end of the American Idol finale last night. It was as if the memory flood gates flung open. Yes we watched AI, and it was such a disappointing season (I have never fast forwarded so much), until that moment…
Danger Will Beethoven…Danger!!!!
In tribute to the debut of the conducting robot Asimo by Honda (I drive an Accord which pretty much drives itself also!), I thought I would write a post about interpretation in response to a lively exchange over on Greg Sandow’s blog. Interpretation is one of the most overrated, over studied elements and at its worst can amount to the pre-meditated murder of music….